Francis Chan assures us that the first century Pharisees and other Jews were very aware about eternal punishment and that they believed in it clearly. My question is this: where did they get this belief from? They didn’t have the New Testament and the Old Testament didn’t have much to say about it at all. There are a few verses but for the most part it taught that the grave was unconsciousness. If they had a well developed belief in eternal punishment then they would have had to get it from …

BTW, it seems Father Lawrence (EO faith) refused to post on his blog my most recent post to him here:

Francis Chan assures us that the first century Pharisees and other Jews were very aware about eternal punishment and that they believed in it clearly. My question is this: where did they get this belief from? They didn’t have the New Testament and the Old Testament didn’t have much to say about it at all. There are a few verses but for the most part it taught that the grave was unconsciousness. If they had a well developed belief in eternal punishment then they would have had to get it from …

In my reading of them, I have never encountered Universalistic teachings. (That doesn’t imply that there are no such teachings among them).

However, the Christian writer Origen (A.D. 185-254) definitely taught the reconciliation of all things to God. (Colossians 1:20)

Origen:

The restoration to unity must not be imagined as a sudden happening. Rather it is to be thought of as gradually effected by stages during the passing of countless ages. Little by little and individually the correction and purification will be accomplished. Some will lead the way and climb to the heights with swifter progress, others following right behind them; yet others will be far behind. Thus multitudes of individuals and countless orders, who once were enemies, will advance and reconcile themselves to God; and so at length the last enemy will be reached…
—De Principiis III.vi.6

When it is said that “the last enemy” shall be destroyed, it is not to be understood as meaning that his substance, which is God’s creation, perishes, but that his purpose and hostile will perishes; for this does not come from God but from himself. Therefore his destruction means not his ceasing to exist, but ceasing to be an enemy and ceasing to be death. Nothing is impossible to omnipotence; there is nothing that cannot be healed by its Maker.—De Principiis III. vi.5

…God acts in dealing with sinners as a physician…the fury of his anger is profitable for the purging of souls. Even that penalty which is said to be imposed by way of fire is understood as applied to assist a sinner to health… —De Principiis II.x.6